Wagyu Topside

Wagyu topside from the inner hind leg: lean, with fine marbling. Roast it whole and slice it thin, or cut it into cubes for marinated skewers.

What it is. Topside is the large, lean muscle on the inside of the hind leg. This is wagyu topside, graded MB3+ for marbling, so it carries more fine fat than ordinary topside.

Taste and texture. Lean and tender when sliced thin, with a clean beef flavor. It has little fat to protect it, so it does best with gentle heat and dries out if overcooked.

How to cook it. Roast it whole: sear it all over, then finish it with gentle heat, in the oven or on the cool side of the grill, until the center reads 52 °C for medium-rare. Rest it 10 minutes and slice it thin against the grain. For mashawi, cut it into cubes, marinate them and grill over hot coals, turning often; lean cubes cook fast. It also braises well.

Pack and storage. Arrives cold and vacuum-sealed, chilled or frozen. Keep chilled meat sealed in the fridge at 0–4 °C and use it within 3 days of the packed date, or freeze it on the day of delivery (−18 °C, follow the supplier use-by date on the pack). Thaw in the fridge, never on the counter.

Where it comes from. Australian wagyu, checked by our butchers before it's cut. Cut, trimmed and vacuum-sealed in Beirut, and packed the day it ships.